Last Laugh
by Seeping Through the Stars
Summary: "There are three buildings across Gotham. One is filled with civilians. One has your precious teammates. And the other has Batsy. They're all on fire, Bird Boy, and you only have time to save one."
1. Choices

**Summary: "There are three buildings across Gotham. One is filled with civilians. One has your precious teammates. And the other has Batsy. They're all on fire, Bird Boy, and you only have time to save one."**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**

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Chapter 1: Choices

Dark strands of black hair whipped with the breezy wind of Gotham. The cackle that escaped the boy's mouth was hushed by the tumult beneath him. His eyes scanned the area before he pulled out a large tool from his vibrant, yellow utility belt. The grappling hook was released, fastening onto the rim of the next building.

His black cape flowed behind him, mimicking wings of a bird as he swung from the skyscrapers. He landed silently on the roof, and crouched down, his eyes peering over the edge. Any other 13 year old boy would have panicked, became fearful of the view—his scenario, his predicament.

But he wasn't any 13-year-old boy. He was the Boy Wonder. And he was at the peak of his comfort.

"Batman—East side is clear. You?" Pressing a finger down on his communicator had got him a direct conversation with the Dark Knight.

The raven-haired boy waited patiently for the response.

"Batman?" He tried again.

"Oh, silly Robin… Batman's not here." An ear-splitting laugh exploded from his communicator.

The crystal blue eyes of the hero turned to slits as he tightened his hands into small fists. "Joker." The name came out in a firmer tone than he intended. "Where is he?"

"We'll get to that soon enough." Another wave of laughter burst through the communication device. "I've got a little game for you to play."

Boy Wonder grimaced at the memories of the villain. He was cruel and unpredictable- the prefect combo for a psycho-maniac mass murderer.

"Here's how it works," Robin's skin crawled at the sound of Joker's voice, "There are three buildings across Gotham. One is filled with civilians. One has your precious teammates. And the other has Batsy." The hysterical laughter erupted, once again. "They're all on fire, Bird Boy, and you only have time to save one." Boy Wonder clenched his teeth so hard he thought they would break. "So—which will it be?"

"I don't always play by the rules, Joker. How do you know I can only save one?"

"Oh, Robby…You can't save all of them. It's impossible. Even for the Boy Wonder."

"Batman can escape by himself. He's been in these kinds of situations before."

"Ha-ha! But was he unconscious at the time? Precious Batsy is going to burn. Unless you choose him over the civilians or, of course, your teammates." Robin could feel the wide grin plastered on his pale face. He could imagine short locks of green hair drooped over his forehead and his green eyes gleaming with excitement. "Harley—bring me some Popcorn, will you? It's just getting good!"

"Sure Puddin'" A high-pitched voice answered.

"Well, Boy Blunder, don't want to be late for the party, now do we?" The sharp cracks of his laugh were cut off by static.

The 13-year-old stood above the city of Gotham, looking out on a rooftop of the tall building. His black domino mask hid the infuriated expression on face. His clenched fists shook with anger. The hysterical laughter that played throughout his mind seemed to mock his situation.

_Three Buildings._

_One with civilians._

_One with my teammates, my friends._

_One with Batman, my mentor._

_All on fire. Only have time to save one._

_Joker is going to pay for this._

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**A/N: Ooooh. What is going to happen next? Who will Rob decide? Hmmm… **

**I hope you enjoyed it! Review! =D**


	2. The Ding of a Bell

**A/N: Hollate! Thank you for reviewing/ adding to story alert/ favorite-ing! 14 reviews on the first chapter? That's awesome! I loved hearing your thoughts on which Rob would choose! This chapter doesn't actually have much action, but the Chapter 3 will definitely make up for it. =D**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: The Ding of a Bell

The black cape that hung from the Boy Wonder's neck whipped with the wind of Gotham and the white slits of his eyes gave the slightest indication that he was in distress. His mind flooded with thoughts as he stood frozen on the roof of a skyscraper.

He knew what Batman would say. "Forget me. Save them." He was always putting others first. Willing to risk his life for the life of someone else. Even a villain.

Robin didn't understand that. He never felt the need to give up his life for someone who had done so much wrong to so many innocent people. Like the Joker.

Dick scoffed at the name. He couldn't help but think about the people that were held unconscious, smoke rising to their level as the flames engulfed their room in orange heat. Those people meant _so much_ to him. He couldn't let them die.

But he knew what was right. Choosing Batman or the team instead of the civilians would be selfish. Those people meant _so much_ to someone, too.

But letting KF, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis die? When he had them at his fingertips and could save their lives? They were heroes. The world needed them. He needed them. They weren't just Young Justice to him. They were Wally, Kaldur, Megan, Conner, and Artemis. They were his friends. And they were burning.

Couldn't he call the league? He could get some help—He would be able to save all of them, right? The Boy Wonder shook his head at that thought. The Joker had interrupted his communicator. This was _his_ battle to fight.

He had to go. He had to save someone. He had to choose or all three of the buildings would crumble in flames along with their captives. Images of the three groups of people flashed throughout his head. Two would die.

'_What would Batman do?'_ he thought to himself, _'He would push aside his emotions and save the citizens.'_ The tear that rolled down his cheek splashed on his right shoe at the thought of his mentor and team dying. But he had to do the right thing. He was the Boy Wonder.

And he was losing everything just before his eyes.

"Where are the civilians, Joker?" Robin had pressed his communicator, which led directly to the villain.

"Ooh, so you choose the citizens?" His voice beamed with excitement, "They're in the East side of Gotham." The thought of a dead Batman brought an evil chuckle to his mouth. "Harley—He chose the civilians! BATSY IS GOING TO DIE!" His voice sounded distant, as if he was talking to someone on his side of the communicator. An excited screech was heard before Robin took his grappling hook and released it, hitching onto the next building toward the East side of the city. He tugged on it twice before jumping off the roof, and while he flew through the airy skies of Gotham, he couldn't help but think he was making the right decision.

That the lives of the civilians were more important than Batman and his team.

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Considering the size of Gotham, the Joker had been vague when he had said the civilians were in the East side of the city. Very vague.

Robin was perched on the railing of a tall building. His eyes scanned the area, hoping a flicker of orange would come into view. His head jerked downward to a small shop when a sharp scream reached his ears.

'_Not now,'_ he thought to himself as he made his way to the ground to get a view of the scene.

A group of three guys were inside the store. They each were armed with a gun that they held firmly in their grasp. They were clothed in black, camouflaging them into the dark nights of Gotham. One crook held his weapon up to the proprietor of the shop, who Robin guessed was the lady who had screamed. The other two had gone straight for the cash register, stuffing the cash into their black bag.

What could Robin do? He had to keep going, keep looking for the civilians. He had to find someone. _Save_ someone. He couldn't waste his time on a small robbery. But how could he let this happen with his knowing? He was trained by Batman and he knew that you need to save someone no matter your situation. It was the right thing to do.

Where had that gotten Batman, though? He was burning in a flaming building, destined to die because of Robin's choice. He didn't have time to do this. He had to save the civilians for his mentor's sake. For his team's sake.

The Boy Wonder turned his head from the sight. He cringed at the next screech that pierced through the air as he stood determined to focus on his mission.

The Joker had said the civilians were in the East side of Gotham. Robin had scanned all of the said area, proving Joker wrong. _The East side of Gotham. The East side of Gotham._

Robin froze in his walking position as the thought hit him.

'_The East side of Got__**ham**__. Ham.'_ Boy Wonder continued to walk along his path as thoughts began to flow into his head. _'A supermarket?_' the teenager questioned, although the idea was quickly turned down at the realization that it would have already been reported. The Gotham Market was highly populated and it's burning would have been on the news in seconds. _'But a run –down supermarket wouldn't.'_ This was a possible answer. And he knew of one at the ding of a bell.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

It was midnight. The time was slipping away from the Boy Wonder. He needed to go. Fast.

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**A/N: So- Rob made his decision, did he? Let's see how that works out… Please review! =)**


	3. Ignited

**A/N: Chapter 3 of Last Laugh is here! I know I keep giving you guys short chapters, but it's hard to write 3,000 words per chap when the story line is a span of hours. **I hope you enjoy- and thank you for the reviews!****

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Chapter 3: Ignited

"Go. Go. Go." Robin mumbled under his breath as he sprinted towards the burning building. Orange flames emerged from the walls of the lower levels, some crumbling under the intense heat. The Boy Wonder had one mission here: Save the civilians.

He had been right. The building engulfed in flames ablaze before his eyes was an abandoned super market. It had been used over twenty years ago, but closed down because of health violations regarding the products' storage. The building was the perfect place for the Joker to play his tricks. The cruel atrocities he wreaked upon Gotham.

When Robin had reached the old market, he quickly pulled out his grappling hook and shot it to the higher levels. Swiftly flying with the retracting handle, he grimaced, the heat reaching the teenager. He could only imagine the intense heat scorching his mentor and friends' skin. He shook his head to clear his mind as he reached the screams that pierced through the air. Robin quickly let go of his grappling hook and hopped onto the floor before scanning the area. His eyes caught a glimpse of movement.

The Boy Wonder inspected the scene. About fifteen citizens were scattered around the level. Violent coughing filled the silences between screams. Many had gone unconscious because of the rising smoke, and Robin decided it would be best to take civilians out in groups. He couldn't direct fifteen hysterical people out of an abandoned supermarket engulfed in flames.

"Over here!" He shouted over the turbulence surrounding the room. Robin caught the attention of the conscious civilians, directing them to the window he used to enter as he retrieved his grappling hook back into his utility belt. "I'm going to take you out in groups. Follow me." The small crowd of people that had not gone unconscious consisted of a mother, a crying baby in her arms, a small girl of no more than four, and two men. Robin could see the fear beaming through their eyes and their shaky movements only signaled the darkness that was about to close in on them. "The window!"

The Boy Wonder whipped around to their destined escape route, eying the civilians as he did so. They started to run towards it before orange flames burst out of the ground, lighting the wall on fire.

"Or not." Robin quickly looked around the room to find another exit. "I guess we'll have to make one." Taking a bird-a-rang from his utility belt, he flung it at the far wall, which exploded in flames. When the smoke cleared away, a large hole appeared in the wall. "Who said you can't fight fire with fire?" His signature cackle escaped his mouth before starting off toward the crumbled wall. "C'mon!"

When the last citizen ran through the opening, Robin had thrown a bird-a-rang at the next wall. It collapsed, sending another wave of smoke to fill the room. When it cleared, he desperately examined the area for an exit. Spotting another window, he charged toward it.

"Out the window!" The civilians speedily followed, looking out of the opening from a distance as Robin hitched his grappling hook to a nearby building and attached his multi-persons extension.

"Get on!" he ordered as the citizens flooded toward the window to grab onto the expansion. With a quick glance to make sure all citizens were secure, the group jumped through the small window and flew through the sky. The screams that escaped their mouths were hushed by the roar of fire encasing the building. He had to save the rest. Fast.

Landing smoothly on the street, Robin counted the citizens. '_Five. Ten to go.'_ He turned around to face the burning building. '_I'll have to take them out all at once now. I don't have much more time.'_ With one final glance at the saved civilians, he took a few steps forwards.

But what stopped him sent anger shooting through his veins.

The building exploded in flames, orange and grey color seeming to eat up each plank of wood as the levels shook and crumbled to the ground. The old supermarket collapsed in fire, razed to the ground by a bomb. _The Joker_ had set off a bomb.

Screams shot out of the civilians who stood in mere shock next to Robin. His eyes went to the small girl who waddled toward the remains of the building, a tear streaming down the side of her cheek. Her eyes filled with another wave of water as she tried to hold back a cough.

"Daddy…"

The Boy Wonder's heart lurched out of his chest at the girl's reaction. Her cries shattered the last bit of strength he had, willing him to break down too. He knew what it was like to lose a parent—both parents.

His eyes shut to a close, holding back tears as he controlled the anger bursting out through every move he made. He had chosen to let Batman and the team die to save the citizens. He had given up everything for the lives of the ones dead among the flames of the abandoned building. The Joker had deprived him of everything he had lived for—for a few measly laughs.

He lifted his shaking hand up to his communicator and pressed it. "Joker," Robin's voice came out in a low tone that would send chills down a sane man's spine. "How could you do this?"

Hysterical laughter caused the young hero to cringe, anticipating the villain's reply.

"Oh, Bird Boy, the party's just begun."

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**A/N: So, what do you think the Joker has in mind? Review! =D**


	4. New Game  New Rules

**A/N: Hey guys! Chapter 4 is posted! Enjoy =D**

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Chapter 4: New Game. New Rules.

"Oh, Bird Boy, the party's just begun."

Robin's hands tightened into fists. Hadn't Joker said that he could save _one_? Hadn't he given up Batman and the team to save the civilians? The civilians that were dead. The civilians that were killed by the Joker. "No, Joker, there's nothing left you can use against me now."

"Oh—are you sure about that, Boy Blunder? The game is not over yet."

"What?" The anguish laced throughout Robin's voice was overpowered by pure hatred.

"Your teammates and Batsy—They're not dead. Yet."

"What are you saying, Joker?"

"The fire in their buildings was…taken care of. The show must go on."

"No. I'm not playing your game anymore."

"You might want to," Joker explained, "You see, I still have Batsy and your team. But this time they're not going to burn. They're going to explode." The Joker's laughter burst through Robin's communicator. "What's a party without fireworks? Better find your Bat _or_ your team soon. It's going to be one exciting show!"

"Why are you doing this, Joker? Why change the game?"

"It was a little drab for Batman—or your friends'—death. They need to go out with a _bang._ Luckily for me, I came to my senses in time. Don't want the murder of the century to bore the audience, do we?"

"So, what are you saying, Joker? You have them locked up with a bomb?"

"Ooh! You catch on fast!"

"But why? Why give me a chance to save them when you have the opportunity to kill them both now?"

"All in good time, Birdy- You have a party to attend!" Laughter erupted from the psycho, but was hushed by his voice, which came out as a low tone. "Don't have much time. The bombs are set to go off at 3am." Static interrupted the signal.

Robin's eyes thinned to white slits as his ears perked with the sound of roaring fire. His senses were blurred by the overwhelming pressure laid upon his shoulders. The unbearable choice hovered over his head like a dark cloud pouring despair on his unmoving figure.

But at least his mentor and his friends were still alive. There was a dim ray of hope shining though his grey cloud, shattering the darkness from its form and replacing it with pure, white, glowing hope. He had hope. Hope that one would be alive.

But who?

It was easy to choose before. Like any other hero would, he chose the civilians because it was the right thing to do. But, now, it was personal. His mentor or his team. It was as simple as that.

If only it _was_ that simple. Because it wasn't.

The team. Young Justice. His friends. This was his second chance to save them. Letting the next wave of superheroes that were destined to protect the world from evil die was bad enough, but the fact that he knew each one individually so well, that he couldn't push the memories he shared with them away, made it impossible for the option of their deaths to be realistic. How could he let them die?

But how could he let Batman die, too?

Batman. His adoptive father. His only parent. He had taken Dick in after the murder of his parents. Dick was devastated at the time, but he got through it because of Bruce, and the Boy Wonder could never repay him for that. He couldn't lose another parent—it would kill the young hero inside.

He wasn't a hero. A hero would find a way to save them all. He wouldn't have to choose.

But there he was—standing in front of a pile of burnt wood and bones flaming in orange, lighting up the dark Gotham sky. The shrill cries of the ones he had saved shattered the barrier over his emotions.

Taking a deep breath, he built it back. He _had_ to choose.

And he knew what he would do.

He couldn't lose another father.

He lifted his hand to his communicator, blocking out his surroundings as he pressed the small communication device that sent him so much pain. "Joker," Robin started, pulling himself together and controlling the shaking in his voice. "Where. Is. Batman?"

A high-pitched chuckle seeped through the young boy's communicator. "I was hoping you would choose him!"

"Where is he, Joker?"

"Let's just say, Batsy is a little over his head."

'_Over his head…?'_

"Well, Bird Boy," The Joker continued, "You better get going—Don't want to miss the fireworks!"

'_Over his head…? Over his head…?'_ Robin thought again as the signal ended. He searched his mind for the answers he so desperately needed, shutting his eyes to concentrate on the clue.

Robin could hear the timer on the bomb clicking in his head, counting down the seconds until they all would die. _Boom._

He shook his head, an attempt at clearing it to focus on the task. He needed to save Batman. He couldn't go through another death of a parent, and he would save the Dark Knight no matter the cost. It was the least he could do.

'_Over his head…?'_ Robin found himself shaking his head again. Why couldn't he figure this out? He was protégé of the World's Greatest Detective and he couldn't figure out a simple phrase leading to the location of his mentor. He knew Batman would have figured it out; The Dark Knight would have been disappointed at the ward. But that is why Robin needed him.

The Boy Wonder's head popped up. _'What's over your head, Robin?'_ A smile willed its way onto the teenager's face. He could almost hear the deep voice of Batman reverberating throughout his mind. He remembered that day like it was yesterday.

"_What's over your head, Robin?"_

_The young Boy Wonder looked at the Dark Knight, a confused expression clear across his face. He thought about the question for a moment before replying with a simple, "The sky?"_

"_What's in the sky?" Batman questioned the 9-year-old, who clearly had no idea where he was going with the questions. Robin just stared at the colorful Joker card in his mentor's hand, trying to read the message on it sideways, although he had already read it twice. The red letters clearly stated, 'Hello Batman! As you can see, you missed the fun, but I promise you, more is to come! I'll try not to get too **over my head**!' The words, 'over my head' were written thicker than the other letters, showing its importance. The card was signed by the Joker, a name Boy Wonder had heard Batman speak of before. He had never met him, though, and his excitement to do so was almost frightening. _

"_Birds are in the sky," the young Robin responded. _

"_Yes, but that's not what he's getting at." Batman's eyes never moved from the sidekick. "A new airport is opening tonight in Gotham. Aren't airplanes above your head, Robin?"_

_He nodded his head, eyes widened and gleaming with enthusiasm. _

"_Joker is planning to go to the new airport tonight, and we need to beat him there."_

Robin's smile widened as he remembered marveling at the intelligence of his mentor and wishing that one day he would be like him. But the happy moment was quickly ended when the Boy Wonder brought himself back to reality. He had to save Batman, and now he knew exactly where he was.

Batman was tied up with a bomb at the airport Robin first met the Joker.

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**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Review! =D**


	5. Can of Worms

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! =D A lot of you said that you think he would choose Batman too, and I'm going to try to elaborate on the subject a bit more throughout the upcoming chapters. I know, I'm so sorry it's short, but when you reach the end of this chap, you'll see why I had to end it there. So… enjoy Chapter 5!**

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Chapter 5: Can of Worms

Robin checked the clock installed into his gloves.

_1:04 am_

He had 1 hour 56 minutes until the bombs went off.

The police sirens echoing throughout the dead silence of the night signaled the Boy Wonder's departure. The brief temptation of asking the police for help barely crossed his mind before he rejected the idea. Explaining everything to the police would take the precious time he had left to save Batman. The Joker was unpredictable, and Robin didn't want to chance another explosion happening before 3:00am.

The police couldn't help anyway. There was no way to know where his team was. There was no possible way for them to be saved. _Nothing_ could help them now.

Wally, Kaldur, Artemis, Megan, and Conner were going to die.

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It was the darkness that hovered over the sky and drooped down to the ground that filled every inch of air with black. The grey clouds that threatened to rain upon the city faded into the atmosphere. A cool breeze lingered throughout the alleys of Gotham, silencing every rustle of leaves and murmur of sound. It was that cold hard silence that only intensified the pressure of the ticking bombs awaiting for their cue of explosion.

The first sight of the old airport was almost too much for the Boy Wonder.

He couldn't form a smile on his face—he was responsible for too many deaths.

He couldn't think about his friends' reaction when he would tell them this story—they would never hear it.

He couldn't check the time—he didn't want to know when they would die.

He couldn't move—he would only regret every step he took.

He couldn't intake a breath—he didn't deserve to live.

But Batman did. Robin had made his choice and he had to save him.

Taking a step forward, he inhaled as he opened the doors to the airport. It was like stepping into a memory. His mind flooded back to when he first opened the doors and saw Joker's pale white face across the room. He twisted his head to the side, pushing it away from his train of thoughts.

His eyes darted from object to object as he ran through each wing of the airport, scoping the area for a scrap of black. His cape withered behind his slowing speed as he reached the second level.

First Level. Nope.

Second Level. Nope.

Third Level. Nope.

Reaching the fourth level, he paused. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees and letting out rapid breaths as his eyes slid to a close.

But that's when he heard it.

The ticking reached his ears at an agonizingly slow rate. Each tick ached its way over to him, and the millisecond they registered in his brain was the same millisecond he was on his feet, alert. Robin followed the noise, ears perked to the continuous ticks.

Relief overwhelmed his senses when he spotted the bomb. His surroundings had gone dark and blurry by the time he reached it and saw the last few seconds beeping away on the timer. His only focus was on de-activating the bomb.

_5 seconds._

He flipped it over to view the wires. Why were there only five seconds left? It wasn't 3:00 yet!

_4 seconds._

Why were all the wires purple?

_3 seconds._

In all the bombs he de-activated before, there were never any purple wires.

_2 seconds. _

Which should he choose? He desperately looked around the room for the familiar cowl. Where was Batman?

_1 second._

Jumping back in the nick of time, he lifted his cape to block himself from the explosion. He had failed.

_Boom._

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**A/N: Uh oh! Did I just make the bomb go off—with Rob inside the building? But—how could I? Is this slowly turning into a death fic? Hmm…**

**Intense enough for you? Think you know what's going to happen next? Review! I would love to know what you guys think! =D**


	6. Surrender

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for the awesome reviews... Here's chapter 6! (I made it a bit longer than usual) Enjoy! =D**

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Chapter 6: Surrender

_Boom._

Robin never felt the explosion shred his cape and burst the room on fire. He never felt the pain of the flames engulfing his figure and scorching his skin to the bone. He never felt the floor collapse beneath him and the walls cave in. He never felt the drop of falling into the vast sea of pure, orange fire.

He never felt it because it never happened.

The Boy Wonder lowered his cape. His eyes immediately went to the bomb, which had a cardboard Joker head popped out of it. The word, 'bang' was plastered above it and the confetti sprinkled across the floor confirmed this explosion was a fake.

Robin's eyes narrowed so tight he could barely see the pasty white face mocking him. He stood and slowly walked over to the 'bomb,' the anger growing inside him cracking the barrier he held over his emotions. Each step was like throwing gasoline on a growing fire. He was so done with this game.

"Tick Toc, Bird Boy. Not much time left." Joker's voice escaped from the teenager's communicator. "Wasn't that exciting? Boy Wonder hiding for his life from a bomb that exploded in confetti! I'm on the edge of my seat!"

"Joker, where's Batman?"

"Oh, but I already told you! But-you came to an airport instead, eh? Batsy's not there, Birdy—although you've probably already reached that conclusion. The Boy Wonder can't always be right." Joker disconnected before another rage of laughter escaped his mouth.

Joker was right. Robin had been wrong about where Batman was. Robin had been _wrong._

The Boy Wonder wasn't supposed to be wrong.

The teenager had gone through too much to be wrong at this point in the game. Too many disasters occurred in the short span of hours. Too much _trauma._ The little time he had left to save Batman was slipping away from him, his whole team was destined to die in mere minutes, civilians were dead, families were torn apart—all because Robin wasn't good enough to save them all. Why should they be the ones dying?

The Boy Wonder fell to the ground when his weary legs gave away. Why couldn't the Joker just _stop?_ He slammed his fist on the hard floor, taking the last bit of energy he had to reconnect the signal.

"Joker. What do you want? Money?" Although his attempt at hiding his desperation was valid, it showed though every word he spoke—and the Joker could tell.

"Oh no, no, no, Bird Boy. I don't want your money."

"Then what, Joker? Don't kill Batman and my team. Take me instead."

"And what? Kill you? That's no fun! I want to see you suffer, Bird Boy." A low chuckle seeped through Robin's communicator. "But don't be a party pooper! You still have time to save your bat."

"Then tell me where he is!"

"Humph! I guess I overestimated you, Boy Blunder. The Bat would be _so proud._" A mocking chuckle taunted the boy, "Tick. Toc. Tick. Toc. Tick. Toc."

At the static that, once again, interrupted the signal, Robin was left upon the cold, hard airport floor. Thick strands of his black hair poured over his mask as his eyes were fixed upon the ground.

'_Pull yourself together, Rob,'_ he told himself, '_There's still time to save Batman.'_ He sighed, taking a deep breath as he used the strength he didn't have to stand. Making his way to a nearby wall, the Boy Wonder leaned his back against it and let his head tilt back onto the hard surface.

He was only a 13-year-old boy. How could he handle _this_ much? He was doing his best—but it wasn't good enough. Wasn't it okay to give up when you were _this _young and had _this_ much pressure on his shoulders?

Yes—But he couldn't. He was the Boy Wonder.

'_Batman's a little over his head…'_ he thought to himself, _'Maybe it's not something above his head in the sky, but something that rose above his head from the ground.'_ The simple thought seemed to replace his exhaustion with energy. _'Something that would keep him unconscious.'_

He checked his clock. _1:48__AM_.

Good thing he knew exactly where he was going.

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It was all a blur. Everything seemed to melt into each other, wiping the color from their surface. All he could think of was the time he had left, the never ending hourglass sand flooding down.

Time.

Time.

Time.

It was all he remembered by the time he reached the Gotham Bay. Each tick of the clock he had imaged in his head killed a part of his soul. Each step he took wasn't fast enough— each movement should have been swifter.

But he was there. He was at Gotham Bay, where he hoped with all the fire burning within his heart—what was left of his heart—Batman was. It made sense to him now. _Everything_ made sense to him now.

'_Over his head…'_ Of course, many things are _above_ your head, but what are you under; what would Batman be under? This question had many answers too, but two words stuck out in his head after the fake explosion at the airport. Gotham Bay. Batman would be _under_water, or in other words, water would be _over_ Batman's _head_.

This was not the best situation. The thought never crossed Robin's mind that Joker would drown the Dark Knight before he would blow him up with a bomb. But he could picture it now. He could almost see the familiar cowl masking the lifeless, white face, drained of all its color. He could imagine his lungs, collapsed and engulfed in water that took away the life Dick held so close to his heart. Robin tried not to think about the dark, limp body floating away with the strong currents of Gotham Bay.

Gotham Bay. The Boy Wonder, snapping out of his gruesome thoughts, peered around to view his surroundings.

Docks lined the edge of the water, venturing out to sea and into the dark skies. The wood planks that stretched across the structure were filled with small gaps, and it wobbled with the harsh wind. Grey clouds hovered low within the area, the deep shadows of the night lurking around the countless boats placed across the shore.

The second Robin's foot hit the precarious docks, they collapsed beneath him, the wood snapping and giving way to the few pounds it was obligated to hold.

The 13-year-old immediately noticed what was happening and let his other leg fly forward to catch a stable section of the structure. That, too, crumbled beneath his feet. He leaped forward, hoping to land on wood.

Unfortunately, his hopes were turned to dismay as he was met with a harsh blast of cold water. The Boy Wonder could feel the broken planks of wood flea from him as gravity delved Robin deep into the freezing sea. The ice-cold water seeped through his costume and sent a chill down his spine.

'_This is so not my day,'_ Robin thought as he continued to be dragged underwater by the weight of his fall. Forcing his eyes opened, he ignored the stinging within them to notice the total darkness surrounding his figure. It seemed to eat him up and close in on him as if there was no chance of escape.

His head shot up, a single streak of moonlight guiding his movements to the surface. It was only a few moments before his rapid movements brought him mere inches from a deep breath of oxygen when his head collided with a hard surface.

'_What?'_ His own voice echoed within his head as his eyes strained to see the clear plastic structured just below the top of the sea—the clear plastic blocking Robin from the endless supply of air mocking his dying lungs. _'When did this get here?'_

His eyes widened as he noticed a man standing on the barrier, looking down upon the Boy Wonder. His face was covered with a clown mask, a lurid smile etched upon its features. He wore a black suit, camouflaging him into the dark skies, contrasting with his short, green hair.

'_Joker,'_ Robin thought to himself as the man laughed hysterically and walk away. _'You didn't think this plan through.'_ A cackle would have escaped the boy's mouth if he had not been drowning underwater—only a smirk showed on his face.

The Boy Wonder's hand made its way to his utility belt, his nimble fingers opening a small compartment.

'_No.'_ Robin shut his eyes as he closed the small, _empty_, compartment. _'This is not happening.'_ Where was his mouth-breather?

The 13-year-old's fists pounded on the plastic, his breath supply weakening at every hit. He could have sworn Joker's laughter was reverberating with the currents as the sliver of moonlight disappeared with the darkness. The Boy Wonder could feel his communicator connecting.

"Did you really think I was going to give you three hours to find _one_ person? Oh no, you've got to earn it, Birdy."

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**A/N: Okay, just to be clear—the man was not Joker, but merely one of Joker's goons.**

**I hope I didn't scare you too much with the explosion. How could I make Rob die so early in this FanFic?**

**But—aren't I making him drown? Oh yes, yes I am. ;)**

**Oh and I'm really behind on writing right now, so it might take me a bit longer to update the next chapter. Sorry, but I'll try to write fast. =D**

**Review!**


	7. Dark Envy

**A/N: Hola Readers! I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to post. I'm running behind on writing.**

**Chapter 5's name was 'Can of Worms' and I know some of you were like, "What?' so let me clear that up. The definition of Can of Worms is 'a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity' which I thought summed up Chapter 5.**

**I hope all of you saw the new episode this morning! It was so worth the wait! I'm definitely excited for the next episode, Coldhearted, because it's centered on Wally.**

**I hope this chapter's title sparks your interest. Dark Envy? Enjoy!**

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Chapter 7: Dark Envy

Robin's eyes scanned the endless dark seas as he swam forward, his cape skimming the plastic barrier above him. His movements slowed with the heavy pressure of the water aching him to stop. Although he forced himself to continue, he knew he couldn't last much longer without a breath of air. It was only so much time before his life would be snatched up by the darkness surrounding him.

A rapid chill shook his spine.

'_If I don't die from suffocation, I'll die from hypothermia.'_ He thought to himself as chilled water seeped through his thick, black hair.

The first feeling he had when he discerned the plastic was not panic. The Boy Wonder had been trained to hold his breath underwater for a short amount of time—and that's all he would need to escape, right?

But as he began to wonder if the clear surface had an end, the tips of his fingers brushed past a wall, made of the same material.

'_Yes,'_ Robin grabbed one of his exploding discs, throwing it toward the wall, before swimming away to avoid the explosion.

_Boom._

This was when the teenager felt panic.

'_Maybe it's not plastic.'_ Robin eyed the wall's position: fully intact. _'Oh no.'_ his head darted from side to side as he looked for an escape. Blackness hovered around his figure, closing in on him with every second that ticked by. He could sense his heart rate slowing with the time passing.

'_If I can't get out above me, and I can't escape swimming around…' _The Boy Wonder looked at the ocean ground, _'The only other way is down.'_

Robin quickly swam to the bottom of the sea. A mixture of solid sand and dirt acted as the flooring to the water, the 'plastic' wall standing firm in it.

'_Here we go.'_ The Boy Wonder was weakening—and he could tell. He knew without a single gasp of oxygen in the next few seconds, he would…

Robin frantically started digging into the ground. The adrenaline surging through his veins simmered and faded as his rapid arm movements drained the last of his energy. Particles of dirt and sediment flooded the water's already-mucky state. They burned his eyes, tears dissolving within the salty seas.

The tips of his gloves quickly wore out, and his fingers were left to continue the digging. Sharp projectiles nestled within the flooring of the Gotham Bay caught his flesh and ripped it open with every harsh swipe. The water stung the open cuts as blood lingered throughout the browns and blues of the sea, red seeping through the vision of the teenager.

The Boy Wonder's eyes willed to close, and he was forced to stop when he realized the last few seconds of life fading away before him. He lifted his hands to view them through the dark ocean. He could sense the loss of blood and the bones of his fingers sticking out from the deformed skin. His lungs begged for oxygen, but it would never come.

This was one of the times he wished he was Aqualad.

But how could he give up now? Even if there was a sliver of a chance of living, there was still a glimmer of hope. And when there was hope, the Boy Wonder would get through. He had to.

His injured hands made their way down to his utility belt, carefully palming his grappling gun and bringing it in front of him to avoid pain. Digging the hook into the ground, he made one final attempt to free himself from the death surrounding him.

'_I don't remember my grappling hook being so heavy…'_

After what seemed like an eternity, a hole appeared beneath the wall, just big enough for Robin to slip through. A wave of relief surged over the suffocating teenager as he crawled under the small space, his grappling gun barely staying in his grasp as he began to float upwards. He could barely see the surface calling his name when blackness appeared on the corners of his sight.

'_No, No, No.'_ The darkness crowded his view of the nearing docks and threatened to close in on him. It continued to grow as the agonizing swim to the surface became less optimistic. Streaks of red followed the movement of Robin's hands and he could taste the blood within the sea. The blackness never ceased to stop growing.

It seemed like life was just out of reach, like he couldn't make it in time. He could have sworn he felt like he was sinking again, the opportunity of living swiped away from his limp body when he met a cool blast of Gotham air.

The black didn't disappear, but grew and took over his sight just as he reached the docks and lifted himself onto the wood planks. There he laid in total darkness as the grey clouds of Gotham swallowed him up.

If only he had gills.

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**A/N: I feel really bad that I keep leaving you guys off on cliff-hangers! -But next chapter won't be one. I think.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and that you don't yell at me for putting Rob through this)**

**Excited for next week's episode? I am!**

**Review! (And maybe the next chapter will come a bit sooner…)**


	8. Redemption

**A/N: Ahhhh! I'm really late on updating! You see, I was writing chapter 10 when the thought hit me: Did I add Chapter 9 yet? Well, apparently (and I'm super sorry about this) I hadn't even added Chapter 8. So, here I am writing my Author's Note like 2 weeks late! But the wait wasn't worth nothing, you see, because Chapter 8 is a super-sized chapter! Actually, it isn't, (it's a pretty short/average chapter) but Chapter 9 really is the super-sized one! (I'm super psyched for Chap 9, btw)**

**So, enjoy Chapter 8!**

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Chapter 8: Redemption

The world seemed like a dream when the Boy Wonder's eyes first opened. It was like he was watching the dark skies from the eyes of his lifeless body sprawled across the precarious docks that swayed and cracked with every gust of wind. The clouds were so close, the sensation of anti-gravitational forces taking over his senses and blurring his vision.

The paralyzation of the weakness and aching forced his mind into distortion. A soft lullaby echoed throughout his ears as death lingered around him. He wasn't breathing, but Robin didn't notice.

Would he ever notice?

The simple notion of life seemed so farfetched as the skies warped and faded within their colors.

'_Robin—that's what it will be! Robin!'_

A smile etched its way onto the teenager's face as the memory played out before him, but his eyes remained empty. The image of his younger self pranced around the clouds in the sky as he yelled out his new name.

'_Batman and Robin! World's greatest duo!' He hopped on the wood crate in front of him, placing his fists on his sides and puffing out his chest. 'No one will ever take us down!' A large grin on his face, he glanced towards Batman, who let a simple laugh escape his mouth._

_A static voice interrupted the scene, 'Batman and the Boy Wonder did it again! They saved the day from Joker's evil scheme to explode the police stations and potentially spared the lives of countless lives. The Dynamic Duo just can't be beat!' _

'_I'm the Boy Wonder,' the young Robin came back into his vision, 'and I'll never stop. I'll never be beat. I'll never die.'_

The teenager's smile quickly disappeared. He was the Boy Wonder. He couldn't give up now.

Blue sparks flooded Robin's dull eyes, returning the crystal color with a rush of energy. His lungs filled with oxygen as his body strived to grasp life. His mind restored and his heart rate quickened as he realized the situation.

Sitting up, he took a deep breath. The Boy Wonder lifted his wrist to check the time, only to meet an aching hand, dried blood stained across each tear of his glove, bits of bone peaking out of his broken flesh.

He cringed when he saw the sight and felt the pain of each cut and wound– But he didn't have time to sit in the moment and dwell on his injuries or past events.

_2:31am_

Robin stood, feeling the water seeped within his clothes weigh him down and lay even more pressure on his weary bones. He shook his head, water bouncing off of each strand of hair as he walked across the docks, balancing himself, eyes scanning for a single sight of Batman.

The water, as like the sky, ground, and air, was black. It seemed to melt in with the reflection of the grey clouds and deepen within the ground underneath. It would be near impossible to spot a black caped hero underneath the sea of darkness that surrounded the docks.

He would have to jump in.

But could he handle another trap?

He would have to.

Robin closed his eyes, stepping forward, he leaped into the air.

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Three minutes had gone before the Boy Wonder spotted a wooden shack half-deep in water close to the East Docks. The second he saw the trail of blood leading up to it, he knew Batman was in there, unconscious, wounded, bleeding.

"Batman!" Robin called out his mentor's name, but to no avail did a response come.

"Batman!" He tried again, closing in on the shack and leading his shaking hand to the door. Placing three fingers between the small opening running along the side of the door, he pulled the it backwards, sliding it to an open.

He gasped, letting the sight settle into him as he eyed the broken body. For a moment, he could of sworn that he had stopped breathing—that his heart had died and his lungs had collapsed.

A soft whisper escaped his mouth.

"Batman…"

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Kid Flash was the first to wake.

Lifting his eyelids to inspect his surroundings, the 15-year-old hero let out a moan.

The chilling cold air only intensified the pain that encased his body as each individual cut and wound surfaced. He could feel the broken bones projecting out of his skin, dizziness warping his vision. A large growl escaped his stomach, burning with the rage of starvation.

He didn't want to look down.

Because he knew, if he did, he would regret it.

Closing his eyes, he let his head lean back onto the brick wall behind him. He willed himself into unconsciousness, the strong desire of ignoring his situation overwhelming his common sense. The simple bit of green he noticed when he first regained consciousness reappeared within his memory as the teenager strived to identify it.

He wasn't alone.

Sighing, Wally opened his eyes once again to the familiar narrow alley. Sides of old buildings towered over him, forming a small passage between the two unstable structures. Each brick seemed to wobble in and out of its place with the harsh wind. A single streak of moonlight broke through the darkness of the night, the ounce of light giving Kid Flash the satisfaction of inspecting the peak of his curiosity.

"Artemis!"

The archer, propped against the wall of one of the buildings, was clearly unconscious. Her eyes remained closed and the sporadic breaths she took were short and shallow. A thin scar ran across the side of her face, dried blood stained across it. Various cuts and wounds spread across her skin corresponded with rips and tears in her green uniform. The same red found across her injuries tainted her blond hair. Metal cuffs chained her wrists and ankles together, although the inability to escape was clearly obvious.

Wally's eyes widened at the sight. "Artemis?" Wally stopped himself from leaning over closer to her, "Are you okay?"

Knowing no response would come, he turned his head to view the left side of the alley.

"Aqualad!"

"M'gann!"

"Superboy!"

The speedster eyed his teammates—his broken teammates.

Each unconscious team member bore cuts and wounds across their skin, along with cuffs around their wrists and ankles chaining them to the wall. Drops of blood scattered across the ground signaled they did not go down without a fight.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Wally's ears perked at the noise. His eyes carefully scanned the alleyway for the source of the ticking, the foreboding deep within him growing by each millisecond that passed.

The single gasp he uttered echoed throughout the walls of the alley.

"A bomb!"

Kid Flash immediately panicked. Rapidly twisting his head side to side, he scoped the small area for an escape, before noticing his own cuffs and chains forbidding him to move.

The speedster dropped his head to view his restrains, but was quickly distracted by his condition.

He was right. He would regret looking down.

The first thing he noticed was his cast. Half gone, it exposed his broken arm. Small drops of fresh blood trickled over the clumps of red that entirely covered the white of his skin. The bits of bone that peeked out from underneath caused Wally to cringe at the sight.

His left arm was in a much better state. A few bruises discolored the skin, a few cuts, a few spots of blood.

He could feel his right leg on the verge of breaking, the bone cracked and twisted. Sharp bursts of pain erupted from the limb, forcing Wally to keep it still. A thick gash ran down the side of the same leg, a small pool of half-dried blood formed on the ground beneath it.

Now inspecting the metal cuffs chaining him to the building, with a few tugs to test if they were secure, he immediately started accumulating an escape plan.

He could vibrate his molecules through the cuffs.

Wally shook his head. He knew he wasn't fully capable of this task, and the idea would only result in a catastrophe.

Of course, throughout the whole time of panicking and observations, he didn't bother to check how much time was left on the bomb until it went off.

Kid Flash, realizing this, lifted his head to view the bomb once again.

_24 minutes_

Eyes wide with pure fear and shock, the teenager instantly returned his focus to his restraints. A flash of horror sparked in his eyes as his mind raced with panicked thoughts. Twenty-four minutes to a speedster is quite an amount of time, but when you know you only have that certain amount of time that decides whether you live or die, it goes as fast as a speeding bullet.

With the time slipping away from him, and his mind failing to evoke any plans of escape, he was left with the one single option that he wished he could have avoided.

Taking a deep breath, ignoring his constant pain and exhaustion, he started vibrating.

His eyes opened and closed with the overwhelming anguish painfully intensifying his fatigue. The soft ticks were drowned out by the blood pumping in his ears, the beat of his heart accelerating to maintain blood flow. His arm, clearly not in a position for excelling extreme speeds, burned intensely, right along with each injury he bore making his escape attempt appear as a suicide.

The ticks of the bomb slowed. Spots of black attacked the speedster's blurred vision, the tiny dark monsters eating up the distorted colors and shapes. They chomped on unmercifully, no matter the shaking of his head that Wally desperately did to rid the darkness from swallowing him. The intense exhaustion willing Kid Flash to slow, the pain from his wounds aching him to stop, the small, black monsters eating up the last of life sent the ginger into a state of unconsciousness.

And as the bomb ticked away and the darkness engulfed him, a single thought entered the speedster's mind.

'_Where's Rob?'_

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**A/N: Review! (The review button _is_ conveniently placed just below... ;))**


	9. The Thought Counts, the Kill Scores

**A/N: Last Laugh is back and with its longest chapter yet! I think it may be because I added dialect into this chap. Yeah, this story is a bit dialect-deprived. Haha…**

**Oh, thank you for reviewing! I'm super psyched to hear that you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it!**

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Chapter 9: The Thought Counts, the Kill Scores

"Batman…"

Robin's whisper barely made it to his own ears as he eyed his mentor.

Batman was laid against the wooden wall of the shack, his head floating just above the water. His eyes were closed beneath the black cowl that masked his face. A drop of blood formed a thin, red streak from the eye of his mask down to his chin, where a large gash lay. Dried blood stained across the wound spread across the majority of his neck.

But the worst part was the red smile across his face, drawn with blood to mimic the Joker's cruel grin.

The sea covering beneath the Dark Knight's neck forbid the Boy Wonder to see the rest of the Caped Crusader. The water was thick with blood, the red color escaping through the door of the shack and pervading through the ocean.

Robin took a breath, as if inhaling the scent of dried blood would fill himself with energy. The single thought of running—running from all the tragedy that surrounded him—running from all the pain that beat his heart each second that passed—crossed his mind. He stood, debating with himself whether he could cope with the misery that was about to come, that he stood before, that he witnessed and experienced.

The temptation of escaping the madness was so surreal. Blood-stained water seeped into the teenager's uniform, discoloring it slightly as it tainted the shade. It would be so easy to run. He knew he couldn't take the explosion that was to go off in a matter of minutes. He knew he couldn't take the bits and pieces of his best friends scattered across Gotham's streets. Batman would never forgive him.

But was Batman even alive?

The Boy Wonder's eyes widened as his ears perked to the slight rustling of the seas, strained to hear the single breath he willed out of his mentor.

"Batman…"

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Panic soon came over Robin as he lifted the Dark Knight unto the docks of Gotham Bay. He lowered his head to the chest of the dying hero.

He froze there for a moment in that position, his eyes closed and intent on opening them to an alive mentor—a bright sun shining joy onto the city, ridding it of crime forever. Maybe that way, there would be no more superheroes.

There would be no more Batman and Robin.

No Dynamic Duo.

No crime. No pain. No death.

And he knew he didn't want to open his eyes to a world of wretchedness that stood before him.

So, he didn't. He waited. He waited for the heartbeat—for the breath of oxygen—for the signal of life that would give Robin something to live for.

When he first heard the beat of a heart, he didn't believe it. _'It's only my imagination,'_ he told himself, _'Batman's dead.'_

But another came.

He waited there for a moment, taking in each beat of his heart, not wanting to stray from the hope that the Boy Wonder clung to so desperately.

Once he took a large breath, simply refueling him, shattering the misery and darkness that the night had wreaked, he sat up, his eyes never moving from his mentor. Maybe he was anticipating for the Dark Night to rise, for him to open his eyes to a warm smile, or maybe Robin was waiting for Batman to just take a breath, move a muscle, whisper a word of advice. Or maybe Robin truly believed that it was over, each beat of his heart just figments of his imagination fooling him into fake hope, only to lead him into another pit of despair.

The young teenager didn't dare to check the time. He curled his legs in, letting a cool breeze send a rapid chill down his spine. Frigid drops of water slid down the side of his face, washing the blood and dirt from its white surface. He wouldn't let a tear roll down with them—he had gone too far for that.

He had saved Batman, right? He had saved someone…

One, as opposed to five. What was he thinking? He was so selfish, saving Batman instead of the team. What would the league say? They cared for their protégés just as much as Robin did for Batman. They would kill him…

Robin rested his head on his knees. Each teammate had a family, too. They would all be crushed. Robin could only imagine their faces when they would be told of the news—how everything was Robin's fault. He had practically murdered each one of the five to save one person, selfishly chosen over their loved ones. Every decision he made had been in vain.

What had he done?

Robin's eyes, which had lingered off deep in thought, returned to the Dark Night. The second they hit the Boy Wonder's mentor, he knew there would be nothing he would have done differently. He knew losing Batman, his adoptive father, would kill him inside.

But didn't he realize that losing his team would be just as bad, that he would miss them just as much?

Robin wrapped his arms around his legs, holding the heat within in his body as best he could. He knew, as he felt the cold body of his mentor beside him, that here would be no regrets.

If only the Boy Wonder knew that the single night would be left with only regrets.

Robin waited for the explosion. He could almost hear the large blasts of the bomb engulf the nearby buildings in flame, roaring through the darkness of the Gotham night. The screams pieced through the airy skies, thick with fear and helplessness.

It was over. He couldn't do anything to save them now.

The black-haired hero turned around toward Batman, listening to the slow, light breaths escape him. Robin could tell the Caped Crusader was not going to wake up for a while, and when he did, he wouldn't be 100% for a few days. The Boy Wonder purposely avoided glancing away from the Dark Night's face. He knew if his body was in the condition Robin guessed he would be in, it would all be just too much. It wasn't like he would have been able to help any major injuries where he was.

He tried to form a smile on his face—he tried _so_ hard, but it never came. How could he even evoke a happy thought when he knew he was responsible for countless deaths?

Robin closed his eyes. Memories of the team flooded into his head. The first ride on M'gann's bioship, when they found Wolf, Zatanna appearing through the zeta-tubes, his and Wally's fight for leadership, their first real mission—Each memory brought another cloud of gloom hovering over his head.

He wished he could have found a way to save them all.

He wished there could have been a way for no one to die.

He wished the night never happened, he wished it all back.

But the magical fairy that was supposed to appear from thin air to make everything right again never came. Robin was left with only his own failures.

But maybe there was a way.

The Boy Wonder checked the time. _'2:49. 11 minutes,'_ He stood, balancing himself from exhaustion, _'Maybe there is time.'_ He pressed his communicator, reconnecting the signal almost instantly. "Joker," he said, words floating in his head as he tried to catch one. "I changed my mind. I want to save my team instead." There was a slight pause, if as the villain was considering if what Robin said was true.

"Okay, Bird Boy," his voice was high pitched and held back a chuckle, "You want to know where your team is?"

"Yes." _'C'mon, C'mon, C'mon,'_ Robin mentally pushed the Joker, as if he was in progress of a major hack on a mission.

"But there are only 11—Oh, no wait—10 minutes left. You can't seriously think that you can save them in 10 minutes, can you Birdy?"

Sheer silence. Way worse than an eruption of laughter. The Joker was never silent.

"Humor me."

This was when the laughter burst through Robin's communicator. "Oh, isn't this thrilling? I just love a good twist in the plot! Your teammates are in an alley between East Gotham's Bank Department and Stan's Barber Shop."

"A little specific, don't you think?" The young hero taunted the criminal as he took off, full speed sprinting toward the specified area, "You don't think I can make it?"

"Let's just say…It's better to throw the rock at the nest instead of the bird."

Robin didn't reply, but simply check the time once more. The digits changed once again—2:51.

And he kept running.

Because he didn't want another regret.

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He almost collapsed when he ran into the single alleyway holding his teammates within its walls. His breaths were heavy and his steps were shaky as he spotted the bomb. Reaching it, he kneeled down to see the last few seconds tick away.

_6 seconds_

Wally woke up from his unconsciousness, and seeing the remaining seconds tick away on the clock, he panicked. Eyes wide with fear, he noticed Robin beside the bomb, dripping wet, shivering, and exhausted, but there he was—defusing the bomb.

"Oh sure, now you show up," Wally joked, despite the fact a horrifying death was staring at him right in the face.

The 13-year-old didn't hear. His intent focus blocked out everything but the bomb's soft ticking.

The Boy Wonder removed the cover, relieved that they were familiar wire colors, and not having a second to remember the order of which you should cut them, he went on instinct, hoping all the training of defusing bombs he had endured would prove itself here.

He removed the red collar, careful not to let it touch the sides of the bomb, but just quickly enough to not waste a single moment. He grabbed a wire cutter from his utility belt and swiftly cut the blue wire. He did the same with the yellow and black striped, along with the red and black.

And he waited, frozen in his position, afraid if he moved it would trigger something, making the whole night worthless. His breathing slowed, his heart rate decreased and his hands stilled. It was a long moment before anyone talked.

"I think you did it," Wally stated, breaking the silence within the alley.

"I think I did," Robin turned around, leaning his back against the opposite wall of Kid Flash so that he was facing him. He closed his eyes for a second, before opening them again, exhaustion clearly showing through the crystal color and lacing his voice. "So, what makes you come to Gotham?"

They both laughed, Robin delighting in the simple moment. Wally's face hardened.

"What happened, Rob?"

The Boy Wonder took a deep sigh. "It's a long story. How did you get caught?"

Kid Flash accepted the dodge of the question and continued to answer his own. "I arrived at the Mountain late today—or was it yesterday?" Wally's eyebrow lifted in curiosity but continued the story, "Anyways, when I _did_ arrive, the team had already headed out for a simple recon mission. Miss Martian soon alerted me of trouble, so I went to help. When I got there, I saw that everyone—everyone but you—had gone unconscious. Men dressed in black suits, green bow ties, and wearing these grotesque masks—I think they were supposed to look like clowns—were swarming the area. They spotted me, they came after me. I knew I didn't have a chance. There were like 50 of them, and they had already taken down Superboy, Miss Martian, Aqualad and Artemis. So… I did what I do best. Run." He took a second to laugh to himself, "But they caught me."

"And I thought you were Kid Flash: The Fastest Boy Alive!" He tried to breathe another laugh, but it never came.

"Yeah well, if it hadn't been for that Joker Gas, I would have been in China by now! I'm pretty sure that's how they got the rest of the team, too."

"And Batman."

"What?" Wally looked confused as he waited for a reply from his teammate.

"They got Batman, too."

"Oh." Kid Flash's voice trailed off with his eyes as he scanned the rest of the alleyway, a silence hovering over it.

"So, that's why you're more beat-up than the others?" Robin's questions surprised the speedster. He hadn't noticed.

"I guess," Wally shrugged before wincing at the pain that the simple movement caused. He shook his wrists inside the metal cuffs, "Happen to have a laser?"

Robin took out a small object from his yellow utility belt, throwing it up in the air and catching it with the same hand. "I just so happen to."

The 13-year-old soon un-cuffed the ginger. They both stood, Wally leaning on the side of the building for support, in fear of his leg snapping.

"So, you saved Batman too, right?"

Robin didn't have time to respond. A low-toned voice seeped through his communicator.

"And the Boy Wonder saves the day once again!" A rage of laughter escaped the psycho, "But didn't anyone ever tell you? You shouldn't leave the cage door open, Bird Boy, someone might just snatch your bat."

"Joker," Robin's voice lowered in rage, almost to a whisper, but the Joker heard it. "You didn't."

The villain matched the low tone, "Oh, but I did! The show can't end here, Birdy." There was a small pause, "Cheaters never prosper."

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**A/N: Like the Chapter? Review!**

**And I have a small poll for you guys. If I write another fic, what villain would you want the main antagonist to be? ( Joker, Two Face, Captain Cold, Klarion, Hugo, Izo, etc. Feel free to suggest others!)**


	10. Dotted Lines

**A/N: I'm sorry I took so long to update, but I had to re-write the beginning of this chapter at least three times. Plus, I just started another fic, _Bullet_, the other week or so. But now both of my current fics are irrelevant to the show, now that the actual show is five years ahead. So, I just wanted to make it clear that this fic is set five years _before_ the time point of the show, just before Zatanna joins the team.**

**And I don't know how everyone likes Season Two so far, but I really miss the old team! I think the only good thing that came out of this, is that I got my favorite character, Tim Drake, into the show (which I'm super psyched about).**

**Oh yeah, enjoy the chapter!**

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Chapter 10: Dotted Lines

It was dark that night, _really _dark, as if the moon had slipped away and let the darkness overpower the city. The stars' shine barely sparked a glint against the night, its lonely skies just waiting for the return of the shining sun. Only a single streak of moonlight would have been needed to light up the alley, but as the sky continued its color, it never came, and the darkness hovered over the area like a black cloud.

But the now-conscious team didn't notice. Their attention was on the 13-year-old hero who stood before them, a horrified look etched on his face. He remained still, as if moving would set off a trap or trigger a bomb. His finger still pressed against his communicator, while drops of water fell off his figure, splashing on the ground and crystallizing with the frigid temperatures of the night. The stillness and the silence was so surreal, the team was sure that someone had shot him with an ice gun or temporarily paralyzed him. But that was before he spoke.

"He has Batman." The words barely made it out of his mouth before he crumpled to the ground, his back sliding against the hard, brick wall. Sinking down into the corner, he closed his eyes as plans tried to formulate in his head.

Confusion lingered within the team—maybe that's why Wally was the first to speak.

His eyebrow cocked as he said, "Didn't you already know that?"

"No," Robin lifted his head but didn't dare to make eye contact with any member of his team. "That was different."

"Different how?" Artemis stepped forward, her hand on her hip with a skeptical look over her face.

"_Different_."

"I believe we are entitled to hear the whole story, Robin." The leader of the group had his arms folded over his chest as he waited for the Boy Wonder to begin.

Robin sighed. "It was all a game. Everything—the fire, the explosions, the bombs, the deaths, the people, the blood… everything." His eyes scanned the skies; he could have sworn space was thousands of miles farther away as he searched for the stars. "The Joker told me that there were three buildings on fire—one with Batman, one with you guys, and one with a group of civilians. He said there was only time to save one, and he was right. So, I had to choose between them. My team, my mentor, or civilians?"

Although the team members were certain of the one he picked, they hung onto every word he spoke.

"And I chose the civilians," he continued, "but I didn't save them—not all of them. The Joker exploded the building before I could save the remaining people inside." His eyes filled with the memory of the gleaming fire, the piercing screams, and the tears of the little girl her lost her father. "Now it was a choice between you and Batman. The Joker had you on a time-bomb, set to go off at three o' clock sharp." He waited a moment, dreading the words he was about to utter, "And I chose Batman."

"Nice to know we're appreciated," Kid Flash joked as he leaned against the brick wall. The smile on his face did well at masking the confusion and fear he really felt within.

Robin coughed a laugh, "Yeah, sorry. So, after escaping a near-death trap, I _did_ save Batman. Kind of."

"And then what happened?" Miss Martian asked, as if Robin was going to stop his story there.

"I had a few minutes to spare, so why not save my team from their grueling death?" He had a smirk on his face, but it quickly disappeared with one look at his teammates' faces. "I got here just in time. You're welcome." He buried his head in his knees as grief tugged at his heart. It was almost as if he was trying to pull himself together one last final time.

It took a moment, but Aqualad finally stepped forward, closing toward Robin. "If we were put in the same situation, I'm sure all of us would do the same."

Robin should had popped his head in the air and hacked into the Justice League records or dissected another word that fit perfectly in with the scenario, he should have done _anything_ but stay still, hidden within his despair.

Artemis also walked closer to the hero, knowing exactly what to throw back at the Boy Wonder, "You look distraught," Robin slowly lifted his head to lock eye contact with the archer, "Well, get traught!"

"Yeah!" Wally's smile spoke for the whole team as he said, "We're saving Batman!" He let his fingers brush against the indents of the bricks, "You in?"

Robin's mind flashed back with images of the night; he had been alone. He hadn't had someone to give him advice or to hold out a hand when he needed one. But now, as he looked around at his team, he knew that this would be different. Maybe there _would_ be a chance to save Batman.

"I'm in."

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It was one of those moments that everyone dreads—the moment just after an intense conversation—the moment where you could cut the _silence_ lingering within the air—it was one of those moments that only Wally could break.

"And I thought the Joker was still locked up in Arkham."

Who knew that Wally would have said the most important clue of the night?

"You're right, KF." Robin's head darted up almost as quickly as a screen appeared above his arm. "He is."

"Which means we can find him there, beat him up, and bring him to justice," Wally let the words slide off of his tongue with ease as if it was just like planning a day at the park.

Robin stood up, eyes locked on the blue screen from his glove, "but that doesn't make sense. How could he do this—all of this—from a prison cell?"

"Let's go find out. How far is Arkham?"

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It had taken close to twenty minutes, due to the lack of Miss Martian's bioship which was too out of range to summon, but they finally reached the top of a hill overlooking Arkham Asylum.

And it wasn't a good look.

The building was large with its long walls constructed of grey bricks that had faded and cracked over the years. Dark clouds seemed to lay just above the asylum, as the tips of the tallest points pierced into the sky. The gate surrounding it was rusted and followed the whole perimeter to avoid escapees, and the barbed wire tangled around the poles of the gate forbid the plan of climbing as an option.

It was too far to hear noise, but every single member of the team knew they could sense both screams and laughter bubbling out of the small holes in the walls.

The Boy Wonder tore his eyes from the scene and opened the window on his glove once again, letting the screen appear just above. "It still doesn't make sense. How could the Joker set fire to buildings, set me traps, and trigger bombs while he's in his cell?"

"Maybe he had help." The voice was scratchy and high pitched, but Robin immediately recognized it. And maybe it was the recognition of the familiar enemy or how he just _knew_ a weapon was pointed at the team and counting the seconds until it blew, but he whipped around and the team did quick to follow.

"Harley," Robin started as he eyed the signature red and black checkerboard costume she wore. A streak of her blonde hair fell in front of her blue eyes as they glowed with glee. She held her large hammer tight, flung over her arms, ready to swing.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up, Bird Boy." She glanced at the other teammates before returning her gaze to the youngest hero, "but I didn't know you were going to bring your friends."

"The more the merrier," Robin shot back, his hand slowly reaching for a disc in his utility belt.

"Oh, that's okay, Birdy. I brought mine too!" Her head didn't turn as she said, "Come out, my babies!" And as two hyenas strolled toward Harley, snarling and ready to fight, Robin mumbled an, "Oh great," and took hold of the disc into his hand.

"Don't go after Mr.J"

"And why is that?" He gripped the disc in his hand but didn't dare to throw it. "I know he has Batman, Harley."

The villain cocked her head to the side with a smile and her free hand on her hip. "Turn around."

"So you can just crush us with your hammer and send your rabid dogs on us? Uh, yeah right!" Artemis stepped in, waving her hands in the air as she talked to add enfaces to her comment.

Harley's eyes swept through the teammates to reach the archer. The grin on her face was almost evident to the fact of her ecstasy. "Don't trust me?"

"Why should I?"

"For your information, archer girl, I'm very trustworthy. And what would be the fun in killing you without seeing the look on your faces as you die?" She let out a soft laugh, but it pierced through the night like daggers.

"Artemis," Robin interrupted, already turned around as like the rest of the team. "Look."

The archer left one last glare at Harley before turning her head to face Arkham Asylum once again. But just as she laid eyes on the building, she saw it—she saw _them._ And there were a lot of them.

Because as she inspected the view, all she could see were the mobs of them swarming around the asylum's gate. And although she was hundreds of feet away from the building, she could see the masks they wore, the gruesome grins, and the black suits stained with blood. She watched them as memories played back in her head. They had attacked the team, beaten the team, but now, they had multiplied, tripled in size from the original number.

They were Joker goons.

Harley's discreet laughter filled the air as she smiled with joy overwhelming her, "I crazed them myself."

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**A/N: I know not a ton of action happened in this chapter—sorry, I'll put more in the next chap, tho. **

**And you guys should check out my other fic I'm working on, _Bullet_. Oh, and review! Reviews are good! ;)**


	11. One Down

Chapter 11: One Down

"Oh goodie!" the scratchy voice echoed in the prison cell, "They've come for a visit!"

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The team turned around, facing towards Harley once again.

"You're not as stupid as I thought you were, Bird Boy," her voice was high-pitched as it carried through the area. The snarling of her hyenas intensified, and she had to pat one on the shoulder to restrain it from pouncing. "Mr. J knew you would come."

The team went silent as Harley tightened her grip on the handle of her hammer. "I really did like you, Robby, I did. Too bad it had to end this way."

"You can't take on the six of us," Superboy added with disbelief before Robin had a chance to respond.

"You're right, I can't," Harley's head swayed to the side to look at the forest. "But I can try." Her head whipped around as she twirled the weapon around over her shoulder, revealing a jagged blade stretched across the wood. She lifted the hammer into the air, behind her back, before swinging her arm forward and releasing the grip.

The hammer cut through the air, but was easily dodged by the Boy Wonder. Robin had already had his hands on an exploding disc and flung it into the air. But before it could hit Harley, she back flipped toward the forest and yelled, "Attack!"

It didn't take a mere second for the hyenas to dive into the action, pouncing on the nearest team member who tried to avoid their attacks.

One of the animals chose Aqualad, leaping on him from behind and sinking his teeth deep into the Antlantean's left shoulder. He yelled out in pain, but the bite wasn't enough to stop the team leader from knocking it off his back.

Kid Flash sped over, knocking into the hyena and sending it flying back a couple feet. But it didn't take long to recuperate, because in seconds, it was already on Artemis. Kid Flash had hunched over and extended his hands to his bad leg, missing the sight as the archer shook the animal off of her and reach for her quiver. She had already had an arrow set in her bow when the second hyena pounced on her, claws digging into Artemis' side as it hung onto her.

The attack sent the arrow soaring toward the nearest tree, far from her designated target. Once she had a second arrow set in her bow's strings, the hyena was already on the ground again, crouching down for its next jump. But before it could leap, an arrow struck it in the shoulder and it stumbled backwards with the momentum of the hit. The faint whimper that escaped its mouth was swallowed in the night's air as it collapsed to the ground, fresh blood staining the green grass beneath the wound.

Artemis whipped her head around to face the first hyena, but it had disappeared. She stepped forward, looking for its razor-sharp teeth and curved claws, for its brown and black-spotted fur coat and its black eyes beaming with madness.

But all she saw was the red-and-black checkered lady who faded into the fog of the forest, her hyenas just behind her (the one she had hit with her arrow heavily limping) and the words, "Bye bye, Bird Boy!" lingering in the air as Harley vanished into the thick foliage of the trees.

She walked toward her team as they assembled into a huddle. The archer could see Aqualad's left shoulder bleeding out of large teeth marks, and Kid Flash trying to hide how he was leaning on one leg and cringing in pain. She saw the others' minor injuries, but her eyes turned to Superboy as he began to speak.

"That was easy."

Robin didn't look up as he replied, "It was intended to be." His head turned back to survey the Joker goons, "She wasn't trying to beat us; She was trying to delay us."

"Why would-"

Robin cut Kid Flash off, already knowing the question about to escape his mouth, "Because they needed more reinforcement—Joker goons."

"That means we'll have to get through _them_ to get the _Joker_," Artemis' voice rang out in the small crowd.

The Boy Wonder sighed. "We can try."

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It could have been a fairly short walk to the gates of Arkham Asylum; the team was in fact just above it. Kid Flash could have been there in less than a second, Robin could have been there in two, Superboy in three, but as all six walked toward the building, feet creeping beneath them, they weren't worrying about the time as much as the tactics.

Four team members were simultaneously taken down by a fraction of the Joker goons storming before them, another one just after. These same five heroes, plus one, winning against at least double the Joker goons had the odds of a fish surviving in a desert.

But as Robin sneaked to a pole of the gate on the far right side of the Asylum, the team following behind him, he knew that wasn't the plan.

"That's a lot of goons," Wally whispered to his teammates as he stepped inside the area, past the gates Robin had hacked into opening. "Are you sure we can take them all _and_ the Joker?"

The Boy Wonder didn't look at his teammates as he stepped forward to scope the area from a closer view. He studied the patches of dead grass under his feet and crawling up the brick walls of the building, considering what to tell his team. He couldn't tell them that he was using them to hold off the goons so he could save Batman. Or that he didn't know if they were going to be able to hold them off—that he didn't know if they were going to die that night, but he had to save Batman. The team after all, was his third choice.

So he didn't take a second more to say, "Well, that's the plan, isn't it?"

"Then let's go," Aqualad's voice was firm but unsuspecting as he lead his team toward the endless amount of goons before them.

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The Joker was smart. Robin knew that.

Maybe that's why he wasn't caught off-guard when each goon had a different technique of attacks. As soon as he had figured out one's and defeated it, another would use another method of strikes and defense. The simple programming of mind control demolished the option to take out masses of goons at once.

Maybe that's why he wasn't surprised as he watched the weapons in their hands form axes one moment and daggers the next. They twisted and turned like a machine with movement, but it didn't take long to figure out that each weapon had only two forms. One formed a club and a revolver, one formed a spear and a crowbar, one formed a pistol and a knife, and the last formed an axe and a dagger.

Maybe that's why he knew he couldn't fight. He couldn't win.

Maybe that's why he knew, as Joker goons piled in the gate of Arkham Asylum with grins from their chins to their ears, that he knew he had to go—he had to slip away while the team was occupied to save Batman and escape. There was still a chance they would survive…

The team was holding off well against the goons, but after ten minutes, they had barely made a dent and Robin knew time was ticking. He had to go. Now.

"Augh!" The Boy Wonder heard the Fastest Boy Alive scream out in pain as a large thump of a back to a wall rumbled in his ears. His eyes flickered to the side for only a moment to check on his friend, but he couldn't mistake the yellow figure struggling to stand as mobs of Joker goons flooded the corner.

Robin dodged an attack before squatting and swiftly turning, his leg outstretched and sending the goon to the ground. He could hear Wally's noises fade as Miss Martian telepathically flew the attackers away, straight into a wall and knocking them unconscious.

The three Joker goons around Robin turned their head at the sight, holding up their weapons high above their heads and charging towards Miss Martian with hysterical laughs escaping their grins.

That was without a doubt the worst part. _The laughter._ It filled the air, formed the clouds, clung to their skin, rang in their ears. But it wasn't joy that comes from a child's giggles at a clown's joke. It was the kind that came from real people, gone mentally insane and attacking the Justice League's protégés. And this wasn't a clown's joke of squeezing his red nose, it was a psychotic mass-murdering killer who was playing a joke of his own—but not a single wisp of laughter came from the civilians' bones burning under smoking debris or the little girl who's eyes tears up as she sits next to a picture of her father. It was easy to realize that the game was not being enjoyed by the players, but by the referee.

Robin knew this was his opportunity. He could see a clear path to Arkham's door and knew he could slip into the shadows and reach there before…

"Rob," the voice was heavy but inquiring as it cut through the night. "Where are you going?"

The Boy Wonder didn't have to turn around to know who was behind him, but he still twisted on his foot to meet the face of Kid Flash.

"Inside," There was no point in lying to Wally. He could see right through the 13-year-old. "I can get Batman," he stumbled over his wording as he searched for a reason to justify himself. "I can get Batman… and then come back. This way, we'll have a better chance, right?"

It didn't take the young speedster a second before he trusted his friend and said, "I'll come with you. I don't think my leg's in a good condition to fight maniacal goons right now." He wore a smirk but he couldn't hide the limp in his step or hiss of pain as he walked toward Robin.

The Boy Wonder saw his friend's condition and didn't take a moment more to say, "Sure." If Robin faced the Joker, he could use help…

"We should tell the others, though. They'll need to know."

Robin sighed and looked down at his glove for the time. "Why didn't we establish mental communication?"

"Because we thought we weren't splitting up," Wally replied nonchalantly.

Robin looked up from his wrist, only to meet a blur of yellow fading away and returning within seconds.

"We're good. I couldn't find Miss M, though. Aqualad told me he would tell her when he finds her. Let's go."

And Robin and Kid Flash walked into Arkham Asylum, the laughter traveling farther and farther away as they deepened within the building.

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"Where are the guards?" Wally didn't take care to lower his voice as he noticed the empty hallway. He limped along its flooring, running a hand through his red hair before placing it on the wall for support.

"Don't know. Maybe Joker had them taken out last night."

"Or maybe the goons were the guards."

"Doesn't matter. Either way, it makes it easier for us to reach Joker undetected," Robin didn't know how much irony laced within his simple comment until he sensed the footsteps across the corner, saw the grinning masks, heard the laughter once again bouncing off the walls and ringing in his ears. "Joker goons. You okay to fight?"

"I'm fine," Wally lifted his hand from the wall and cringed, "How many?"

Robin's eyes flickered to the oncoming mass of Joker goons, "Six."

It was only four seconds before half the goons were unconscious.

It was a mere five seconds before Robin's foot was again nestled in the chest of a goon and sending the crazed man to collide with the hard wall.

It was just seven seconds before the Boy Wonder heard the sickening snap of a bone and didn't have to turn around to know the Fastest Kid Alive had broken his leg. And he must have scared the goons away, because when Robin _did_ turn, the hallway was clear.

Clear except for yellow speedster on the ground, holding his leg and suppressing a scream.

"KF, are—"

"Doesn't matter," Wally made out, quoting his best friend. He lifted his head to look at Robin, "go. Save Batman."

It should have been easy for Robin to ignore his teammate and inspect the wound. It should have been easy for Robin to whip out his medical supplies tucked inside his utility belt and wrap Wally's leg to stop the bleeding. It should have been easy to do anything but turn around and run deeper into Arkham Asylum. And it wasn't hard at all.

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Robin's breaths began to shallow as he slowed his feet, stopping at the door to Joker's cell. It didn't take a moment to hack into Arkham's security and send the door sliding into the wall.

And maybe, with all the years of experience he had with the Joker, the Boy Wonder should have expected the Joker to be standing right there, eyes wide with nothing but overwhelming bliss and insanity. Strands of his green hair gelled back into a neat curve. White face adorned with a large, wide, red smile and a mouth about to speak with a hoarse voice that only comes with weeks of just laughter.

"I was hoping it would be you."

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**A/N: Creepy much? A lot of things happened in this chapter, just in like...2,250+ words. Review and tell me what you think! I hope to update sooner, maybe by Saturday?**


	12. Two Down

**A/N: So, now that I'm at the finale/climax of my story, I'm doing a set of chapters that are "[insert number here] down" The first chap of the finale was "one down" then the second is "two down" and so on… Therefore, as the names say, one person is going 'down' each chapter. Last chapter was Wally. Hope you enjoy this chap and remember to review!**

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Chapter 12: Two down

His voice was thick and scratchy as it escaped his mouth, high pitched and ringing in the air and for a long moment, there were no more sounds, no movement. Joker's eyes glimmered with insanity as a lock of his green hair fell in front of his face. His smile was wide and outlined with a bright red, contrasting against his pale white skin.

Robin was trained to attack at the perfect moment, to wait until there was a clear shot and strike with precision and accuracy. The Joker was right before him, almost waiting for the first hit, no weapon in hand or plan coursing through his brain. It was an easy target, but the years of training weren't moving his hands to an exploding disc or kicking Joker toward a wall of the cell.

The psychotic clown turned and walked farther into the small room. Robin felt compelled to follow, but his instincts were silenced as he remained at the doorway.

"Wondering where the Bat is, Bird Boy?"

Robin's eyes thinned to slits.

"Well?"

And then he threw the years of training away, and went on impulse.

The hero leaped toward the villain, throwing a punch at his the side of his face. But either the Joker was too quick or Robin too slow, because the criminal caught the fist midair and held it there for a long moment.

The Boy Wonder glared at him in the position, already analyzing the mistake and counter-playing in his head to perfect it. He lifted his free hand, catching the Joker off guard and punching him on the right side of his face.

The villain's head whipped to the side with the blow, blood splattering out of his mouth and onto the white flooring of the cell. And although the hit should have taken at least a minute for one to recover, the Joker spun his head around almost immediately to lock eyes with Robin.

And the Boy Wonder never saw Joker smile so big.

Robin stepped back in confusion, trying to make sense of the scene as he eyed Joker's bloody mouth stretched across his white skin, his green hair pouring over his eyes. A steady stream of blood was drizzling out of a crack in one of his teeth, but Joker didn't seem to notice.

"You know Bird Boy," the Joker started as he took a step back and held up his right arm into the air, "You're a sneaky little Robin." The villain gave a short laugh, a low chuckle, not traveling far from the room, but merely bouncing around Robin's head and seeping into his thoughts, "Leaving your team to fight the hundreds of goons you know they can't beat, then slipping into Arkham Asylum to retrieve your precious mentor, with the full intention of only saving Batsy." He cocked his head, "But what would your team-buddies think of your plan, Birdy?" The Joker pulled a small remote out of the interior of his sleeve as his smile grew from interrogative to satisfaction, "Let's see where you left your teammates, hmm?"

A large screen appeared on the opposite side of the cell. And on it, was Superboy. He was against six goons, knocking out two at once with a maneuver Robin had watched Black Canary teach him. But he was weakening; his eyes were dull and his moves were sloppily executed.

Curiosity kept the Boy Wonder silent as Joker continued.

"Wondering how Superkid's dying?" He didn't wait for a response before he answered his own question, "Their weapons are infused with Krypto-gas, or Superkiller as I call it. It's a lower concentrated gas form of kryptonite, not nearly as effective as the real thing." The Joker looked at Superboy for a second, then turned his head back toward Robin. "But it's working, isn't it?"

The screen changed to Artemis, who appeared to be without her weapon. She was holding off well against the two goons she was facing, but Robin could see in the corner of the screen that there were at least eight more coming her way.

"Oh yes, the archer girl. How much longer _can_ she stand with a broken bow? Hmm." He scrunched his face, but it didn't affect his smile, "I would say not long."

The screen changed once again, but this time to a scene of tall trees and foliage. It took a second for Robin to identify Miss Martian, floating above a tree and camouflaging herself into the shaded colors of dark green and brown around her. She was hiding from a group of about twenty Joker goons who swarmed the ground beneath her while some were simultaneously flung across the forest.

The Joker shrugged, "Well, the Martian's doing okay. I wonder when those goons are going to discover how to turn their weapon into a flame shooter."

Aqualad was the next to appear on the screen. He was beaten and down and tired, but he wouldn't let it show. His face was filled with determination, and his hits were still smooth and swift. But he favored his left arm as he huddled his right near his stomach.

"And then the leader of the team, eh? A broken arm won't do good for hydrokineses!"

Robin heard a laugh, but he wasn't listening as he stared at the leader of the Team and wondered how long it was until he realized the Boy Wonder had betrayed them. How long was it until he let the goons win?

"Oh yes, and then there's KidZoom."

Robin's eyes flickered back to the screen from the place he let them wander. But they grew twice their original size as he looked at his broken friend.

"Isn't this the one that told you to leave him?" the Joker's voice rang in Robin's ears. "Isn't this the one you left without a second thought? Did you really think he meant it when he said, "go"?"

Wally was rested against the wall of the hallway Robin had occupied just minutes before. It was a miracle he wasn't unconscious, because the pool of blood formed around his broken leg reached the opposite wall and spread in width by the minute. His face was pale and filled with anguish. He cupped his hand into the blood and poured it over his wound, but his consciousness was too fragile to make sense of the situation completely.

"KF…" Robin murmured under his breath. Guilt filled his stomach and tugged at his lungs.

"Because now's he's dying, Bird Boy. And it's all your fault. You killed him." The Joker gave a good laugh, a cold one filled with such intense insanity that it gave Robin a moment to breathe and to tell himself that it was all part of Joker's plan—to scare him into surrendering.

The Boy Wonder snapped back into reality when he remembered his true mission.

"Where's Batman, Joker? And no games, either."

"Oh, you _were_ always the one to spoil my fun. You and…" The screen changed to Batman. "Batsy."

Batman was unconscious, laid across cement sparkled with drops of blood. He looked the same as when Robin left him, with the red smile slightly faded and rips in his cowl. Ties bound his hands together, but by the color of his skin, he wasn't going to be waking up soon. Two goons guarded him, one holding a gun to his chest and waiting for the simple cue to pull the trigger and end the Dark Knight's life.

"A little simple for you, Joker, don't you think?"

The Joker shrugged. "You learn to settle. But the real amusement will be your reaction, won't it? And I'm front seat!"

The Boy Wonder narrowed his eyes to slits as he glared at the Joker, threatening him.

"And all you have to do to get your Bat back alive is leave."

"How will I know you'll hold up _your_ side?"

"Fine. Don't. I'll just tell that goon to pull the trigger. I get what I want, don't I?"

It took a moment before Robin stepped back.

"Keep going Birdy… Your friends are waiting, aren't they? And I don't think Batsy's heart rate will start up again until he has some medical attention soon."

Quickly checking behind him, he took another step and soon he was outside the entrance of the cell with the door sliding closed and Joker's laughter bouncing around him.

But suddenly, the door flew open and he was once again met with the Joker.

"You know what? Shoot him anyway."

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**A/N: I must be mean to my characters, because they're all getting really beat-up at this point in the story…; D So Batsy's the second one 'down'. I wonder who's next! Review! =D**


	13. Three Down

**A/N: I DID IT! I FINALLY GOT IT UP! Okay, I know it's been like... I don't even want to know how long since I last posted a chapter, but look! A NEW CHAPTER IS JUST BELOW THIS WONDERFUL AUTHOR'S NOTE. I'm sorry it took me SO LONG to write it... I procrastinated like crazy! I actually thought I had already posted Chapter 13, so I had started writing chap 14. But at least I have a head start on the next one! **

**Okay, so this is the second to last chapter... Hope you enjoy ;D**

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Chapter 13: Three down

His lungs closed up and his throat tightened as the Boy's Wonder's heart exploded into a million pieces.

There are lots ways to hurt someone. There's, of course, the physical sensation of pain—skin ripping or veins dying under your skin and rising up in black and blue. There's the direct hit of a crowbar, a baseball bat, the shock of a bullet in your chest. But then there's the hurt within, the one that comes with watching your best friend's life drain from their face before your eyes. There's the ache of guilt welling up in your stomach, the thoughts of your dead parents swirling around your brain and pulsing through your heart.

And then there's the pain of seeing the mentor and adoptive father that you sacrificed your friends lives for to save, getting shot by a crazed Joker goon, seeing the blood flow out of his chest for just a second, and already calculating within your head the chances of his survival, and it's not good.

So maybe it was the anger that was welling up inside of him throughout the night that caused Robin to explode, or maybe it was the frustration of trying too hard to reach something that disappeared in an instant before his eyes, but something sent the Boy Wonder lunging on the Joker with a disc in his hand and a scowl on his face.

The villain dodged with ease, savoring in the moment of carelessness from his enemy with eyes closed and casually rocking back and forth on the heels of his shoes. Maybe it was because of this that he didn't see the exploding disc fly by his arm and slice his shoulder open before exploding on the far wall of the room.

The Joker's eyes slowly opened and his head turned to his wound. He tilted his head, watching the red liquid stain his prison suit and travel down his arm, a stream of blood forming a thin line to the tip of his pointer finger. He lifted his hand in front of his face and watched the drop of blood hang from his pale skin and separate, falling to the ground and splashing on the cool flooring of the prison cell. Moving his hand toward his chest, his finger, stained in red, drew an "X" over his heart unto the rough fabric of his orange suit.

"You missed."

Robin's eyes narrowed as a bird-a-rang was swiftly thrown towards Joker, but instead of the heart, it wedged deep into the villain's stomach.

The villain's focus immediately changed from his bloody fingers to his stomach, eyes wide but cool as he grasped the weapon with his right hand and jerk it out of his stomach with one, quick movement. The only acknowledgement to the extent of the wound's pain was the faint sound from his throat; his smile was unaltered, wide and almost as red as the blood pouring out of his stomach.

"Whoops," Robin started, his eyes glistening against the bright lighting of the ceiling, "I missed again." The words barely escaped his mouth before the Boy Wonder had knocked the Joker down.

He might have seen the smile on Joker's face if he waited a moment before he was on him, throwing a punch with his right hand and already ready to throw one with his left. He could hear the Joker start to laugh through a mouthful of blood, but it was slowly fading, drowned out by a roaring of fire encasing his ears. Orange and yellow flames engulfed his vision as the memories played back in his head. He could almost hear the screams loud and clear, blood-curdling screeches soaring out of the building, in hopes of someone hearing. They cut through the silence, shattering it with so much force that it almost interrupted Robin's mad punching-spree and knocked him back a bit. He watched the images in his mind change from the burning building to the pile of debris and cones, and the little girl he had seen earlier that night, a tear streaming down her face.

But then a cruel laugh rattled the picture into the scenes of his teammates unconscious in an alley with a bomb ticking away, and Batman imprisoned inside a shack in the Gotham Bay where the water quickly turned to blood.

The images were swiped away when the Joker's cardboard face popped out of a bomb exploding into confetti and bright colors. Robin felt failure and guilt slash his heart right open. The colors morphed into red and black as the team faced Harley and her hyenas. Claws and fangs spiraled around the scene, snarls so loud he couldn't hear anything but.

But of course, the faint sound of his name, almost a whisper yet so clear it could be a yell.

"Robin?"

The fangs and claws faded away but returned as Joker goons, grotesque masks, and weapons that changed with every hit. Scenes of his teammates flashed in his mind. He led them to their death. He should have left Batman and saved the team when he could have.

"Robin!"

Batman. The broken pile of blood and bones. Is that who he did all of this to save? The hero who was just shot—killed? And it was all Joker—the plans, the shots, the laughter.

"Robin, stop!"

He wasn't sure if he heard his name; it was too distant to be directed at him, too soft to be real. He couldn't quite grasp it, but it was there. And so was the hand on his shoulder, pulling him backwards. He didn't realize his fists were moving until another pair held them to a stop.

"Robin."

Aqualad's voice registered in his head, and before he realized he wasn't in reality, the world came flying back to him. It was as if he had closed his eyes too long and missed everything that had happened.

Because the first thing he saw was his hands covered with red and Joker's white face not white anymore.

"What?" Robin stammered as he felt himself being pushed backwards.

He looked at his hands, almost unrecognizable, coated with a thick layer of red, and then to Joker, laughter still bubbling out of his throat and through his shredded mouth. The side of his face was ripped open, the lack of skin revealing glints of white bone. His nose was broken, bent to the side so much that it resembled a beak. The criminal's eyes were wide with insanity as red liquid bordered them. The red outline of a smile on his face seemed so unnecessary as Robin examined the flowing substance both covering his hands and Joker's skin.

It was blood.

"Robin, are you alright?"

The young hero looked up to see Aqualad standing above and Superboy beside him. A wave of relief rushed over Robin. But before he could savor the moment, realizations of guilt and regrets poured over him and sent the potential smile into a deep frown.

His bloody hands pressed against the floor and slowly propelled himself into a standing position. He jerked his head, which must have resembled a nod enough because the team leader did not press anymore questions.

His teammates remained silent, staring at him with wide eyes as if they had seen a ghost. Robin noticed Aqualad's arm still huddled near his stomach. He eyed Superboy, exhausted and slightly green; the Krypto-gas had obviously taken a large effect on the Kryptonian.

Robin didn't dare ask about the others. If they were severely injured, or worse, would he even want to know?

The horrid laughter that was practically engraved on the white, smooth walls of the cell halted. A scratchy voice exploded from a bloody throat and sent splatters of red over the white tiling.

"Oh, isn't this just perfect? Better than I anticipated, that's for sure." The Joker's bony fingers wrapped themselves around the handle to a silver pistol and positioned the gun towards the exhausted young heroes. "I honestly wasn't expecting so much of a turnout. Seven heroes in one day! Oh, and all those innocent civilians, too!" The clown shook the gun at the three teenagers who had stopped dead at the second they saw the weapon. "It must be a record, really. Where's my camera? I should get a picture! Ah, maybe I'll take it _after _I kill you. Then we don't have to worry about all the t-"

"You can't kill me with a bullet," Superboy retorted.

Joker shrugged.

He pulled the trigger.

With a loud boom ringing out in the air, Superboy stumbled backward with the hit and fell on his back. His hands flew to his chest and when he finally lifted them off of the red 'S' on his T-shirt, they were covered in thick, Kryptonian blood.

It might have been instinct, or maybe the regularity of murderous actions in that very dark and misty night, but Robin was quick to respond.

"It's the Krypto-gas. It must have weakened him enough—enough—"

"For a bullet to impair his flesh," the Atlantean finished, his gaze slowly returning to the Joker. The clown had the gun still pointed at the Kryptonian.

"Who's next?"

Suddenly, a flash of black flickered in the bulging eyes of green-haired clown. It came like a bat, quick and swift, yet sharp and unseen. Hooking its claws onto the rim of the pistol, the birdarang sent the gun flying across the square room.

A swift kick to the head by the Boy Wonder, and the Joker was losing his grip on consciousness, slowly slipping into the darkness though struggling to get the last few words from his mouth.

"You think you won? You think Batsy didn't die in vain? You failed to save _everyone_." He struggled to cough a small laugh, "You think he would be proud…" The Joker's eyes slowly shut as he slumped back against the cinder brick walls.

Aqualad had walked across the cell and collected the gun with his good arm. "The question is how he managed to maintain a gun's presence in a highly concealed and guarded prison."

Kaldur glanced back at Robin, but the 13-year-old hadn't heard what the Atlantean had said.

He was standing over the Joker, his yellow and black cape bristling against the back of his knees. Black hair shielded the whites of his mask and fell over the majority of his forehead. His mouth was a stern frown against his pale skin. Fingers curling around a fist in his hands, his head lifted and white slits fixed themselves on Aqualad.

"Help Superboy and the others."

Aqualad stepped forward to reply, "Robin, the others have alre-" He stopped abruptly, noticing Robin already sprinting towards the cell door.

And the Boy Wonder must have had _some _hope in the life of the Dark Knight, or maybe he just wanted the lifeless corpse to bury, because as he slipped out the cell door, he called out one last thing to Kaldur.

"I have to save Batman."

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**A/N: One more chapter... and everything will be revealed, all questions will be answered... **

**Review!**


	14. The End

Chapter 14: The End

It would have been nice if there were mountains.

Maybe even a lake—The sky, light blue and stained in yellow sunshine against the picturesque horizon. The soft lap of water flowing over silver rocks thrust out of the silky blue waves of an endless river could have filled the fresh air with the subtle echo of nature. Bushy green trees with rusty brown branches would have ventured out at all directions, outlining the white fluffs of cotton candy clouds.

Maybe with that scene, he could have let his mind escape deep into its beauty, in awe of the picture perfect glow. He could have abandoned the regrets, the memories of blood and the deaths of the night and just let his mind graze over the sloshing waters as an eagle soaring over the Pacific.

"Di—Robin," Wally self-corrected, realizing that the two teenagers were still in 'hero gear'.

Dick startled, subsiding his vivid day dreams but careful not to tear his eyes from the freshly shined window. He heard Wally, who was previously standing at the door, walk closer the rusty magenta-colored window seat and settle beside Robin. There was something about the nine footsteps rattling about in Dick's brain that sounded odd—maybe the 'clink's of crutches against a marble tiled floor or the faint dragging noise of a shoe against the ground. Of course, he could have only hoped a miracle occurred that in some way it was possible for Wally's injured leg to be fine, the Team was all safe, Batman had never been shot…

Wally rested his crutches against a panel of the powder-white hospital room wall. His eyes rolled across the scene of the brick siding of an industrial factory and a street blocked off by striking yellow caution tape.

"Nice view," After a moment, he sighed at the lack of response from Robin, "but what can you expect from a hospital room anyway?"

Robin looked around the small, dark room filled with medical equipment and uncomfortable beds. "It's better than looking inside." He didn't realize how hoarse and raspy his voice would sound, but it didn't bother him.

Silence fell upon the two for what may have seemed like hours for Wally. He searched his mind for something to say, but somehow he couldn't find the right words. Luckily, though, it was Robin who spoke next.

"I'm sorry," he apologized through a soft whisper, "I shouldn't have left you or the Team. But the Joker's games… they're—"

"Do you really think, Rob, that if any one of us were in that situation that we wouldn't do the exact same things—if not worse—than you? I would," the speedster admitted.

"So what happened?" asked Robin, "What _happened_ to you and the Team and Batman?"

Wally tilted his head to the right as if looking at a memory playing in the corner of the screen. "A couple minutes after you and I had left Arkham grounds to find Joker, the Team followed, realizing that there was no way to hold off the goons. They retreated into the asylum. Then they found me and I told them what happened—or as best as I could half-conscious at least. Miss M and Artemis stayed behind to help me while Aqualad and Superboy left to find you," he squinted his eyes in concentration for a moment, but must have given up because he shrugged and continued, "The rest was a blur."

Robin ended the story in monotonous tone.

"And then Superboy got shot, I left to find Batman in the parking lot of Gotham Academy, and brought my half dead mentor to the local hospital. Figured even Alfred couldn't fix him this time." He rubbed his sore broken fingers over the palm of his right hand. "I know everyone keeps saying it's not my fault, that I couldn't have changed anything that happened last night, but I just keep thinking… If only I had chosen the Team instead of the civilians, half of them died anyways… If only I could have secured Batman in a safe position instead of leaving him on the docks…If only I could have been more strategic in my decisions, maybe I could have saved some lives."

It was a long moment before Wally could articulate anything into words. He wasn't used to the serious atmosphere between the two friends. But then again, they play in a very serious game.

"If you went back to the start of the night and changed everything about what you did, you would still find yourself with regrets. You out of anyone should know that Joker's games aren't designed to end with a fairytale ending." Wally waited a moment before remembering something. "How did Joker pull this whole scheme off anyways? A radio system and a gun in his possession inside a highly guarded insane asylum for Gotham's most notorious criminals?"

"Apparently he had inside guys in the Asylum security. At his signal, they released a gas that knocked out the guards. Harley took care of them. The other prisoners, though, were still locked in the cell for that night, so none escaped. ..

Clutching his crutches and swinging it over his feet, Wally stood and walked towards the hospital doorway. "Come with me."

Robin, most resentfully actually, suppressed a groan as he got to his feet and followed Wally down the long white hall. As he inspected the endless hallways of the large, slightly chilly, building, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. Why, he thought, were hospitals always so plastic-white? It seemed like they went through thirty tons of bleach each year.

Suddenly forcing his focus back into reality, his mind flooded with questions that were previously fogged with confusion.

"How's Superboy? Aqualad?"

"The shot wasn't deep for Superboy. He may have been under Krypto-gas, but he's he has 'super' in his name for a reason. Not used to pain, though. Docs say he'll be as good as new by Friday."

"And Aqualad?"

"Atlantean, remember? Thick skin…or was it thick bones? Not sure. Something thick about them," Wally smiled, still slowed in speed by the crutches and the cast encasing his right leg. "Broken arm, but you must have figured that out. You are the world's greatest detective's protégé and all."

"Artemis and Miss M?"

"Minor wounds for both. They're waiting in Superboy's and Kaldur's room," Wally waited a moment to see if Robin was about to ask another question, then realizing Dick's silence, he added, "I'm fine too. Thanks for asking."

"Oh," Robin stammered, "Your leg?"

"Broken."

"Not ideal for a speedster."

Wally groaned dramatically, "Flash already talked to me. Out of commission for three weeks."

"You must have lost a lot of blood. How did the doctor's let you leave so fast?"

"Oh, well… they're not completely aware of my absence," Wally quickly changed the subject as he turned a corner and halted. Turning, he tilted his head to indicate where to look.

Robin didn't need to look to know what lay beyond that cold door.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Wally gave a half nod.

Then rethought his answer, "He's not _dead_ exactly…"

"But he's not _alive _either," Dick finished.

"Who says he won't wake up?"

"Who said he's ever _going_ to wake up, KF?" He took a step to the right so that the door was farther behind him, "The doctors? They're just giving us—you, me, the Team, _Gotham_—fake hope. And maybe _one day_ he'll open his eyes. But that's all he's ever going to do, isn't it? Open and close his eyes. His heart may be beating, Wally, but he's not alive. He'll never be alive. The legacy—the Batman legacy—is over. And it's all—"

"Not your fault, so don't even start," Wally interrupted, stepping closer to the door and pushing Robin aside. "He's Batman, Rob. He may be in a coma, but he's Batman," He placed one hand on the smooth surface of the door. "Which means one day he'll put on the cowl and become Gotham's Dark Knight once again."

Robin avoided looking through the small oblong window for several minutes, standing in complete silence. Wally's last comment seemed to slowly pervade through the halls of the hospital. He could see Wally staring at him in the corners of his eyes, but he was determined to avoid the cruel window. It wouldn't show him what he wanted to see. Eventually though, (Wally's stare had grown into a comical glare at this point) he let his view slowly slide over to the small square peaking into the hospital room.

One look and Robin was through the door, standing beside Batman's hospital bed.

Bruce wasn't the kind of person that would show fear. There was never a reason to show fear. He was Batman. And Batman was never supposed to be beaten. No one was supposed to win against him.

And yet, on the hospital bed in front of Robin lay the so-called legend, the Dark Knight, the Batman, connected to wires and blinking machines that gave off loud beeps every other second. The heart monitoring screen next to him showed signs of life, but Batman's eyes were too cold even for his worst bat-glare.

Robin heard Wally enter after him.

"So this is how it ends?" Robin asked as he surveyed his dying mentor. The red smile had been washed from Batman's face and his gun shot had been patched up.

"Who are you kidding?" asked Wally, "When does it ever really end?"

It was the true. The game was over, but the effect had just begun. And maybe Robin had won the battle, conquered the game, but even weeks later he would wake in the middle of the night screaming for the clock to stop ticking, wondering if maybe the Joker had gotten the last laugh after all.

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**A/N: THE END. I'm sorry I took so long to update, but now you no longer have to wait long sporadic periods for a new chapter ;). I can't believe it's over! Good thing I have a new fic about to be posted in the next month (and maybe this one I'll update on a weekly schedule) I hope you enjoyed reading Last Laugh! REVIEW! XD  
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